Vegetable-crate-cover press.



J. H. PLATT.

VEGETABLE CRATE COVER PRESS.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 14, 1917- Patented Nov. 27, 1917.

MWE/vrok. H WMTT J OHIVI-I. PLATT, DE LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

VEGETABLE-GRATE-COVER PRESS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2?, 19M.

Application filed March 14, 1917. Serial No. 154,884.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. PLATT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vegetable-CrateCover Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to crate presses and more particularly to crates for packing vegetables for shipment to distant points and the principal object is to provide'a curved crate seat in'conibination with a curved cover and press member.

It is also an object to provide the cover holder, usually formed of slats, with a holder that registers one end of the slat in correct position to the top 'of the crate.

It is a further object to provide a latch to lock the slats in position, that willfnot interfere with the bendingof the same while being pressed into position for nailing.

In the drawings accompanying this specification,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine, showing the press closed and locked, ready for nailing.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation with the parts open ready for a filled crate from the packers chute. p

Fig. 3 is a front elevationof the holder on a larger scale, a slat in position in dotted lines, and

Fig. 4is a plan'on the same scale as 3, one slat being in position and shown in dotted lines.

In the packing of vegetables, as cabbage, lettuce and cauliflower in crates, it is customary'to overfill the crate and in securing the slat cover by hand over the bulging top layer; though the slats are soaked, two men are required and many slats are broken, with much bruising of the contents, and irregular distribution of the pressure when packed on a flat seat or the floor.

Though many presses have been devised, none accomplish the desired packin with the curved supports to the top and %ottom slats, to protect the slats from breakage when dry and properly aline the cover slats when flat.

More specifically, in the drawings numeral 6 designates a base having erected thereon and braced, the parallel uprights 7 and 8, on the inner surfaces of which are mounted the Us of metal, acting as slides for the slidable frame 10.

"Over the forward portion of the base 6 and connected with the uprights is a table 11 of suitable height, this table having legs 12 and end pieces i l and 15 on which are secured the curved and metal faced supports 16, 17 and 18, which preferably correspond in width and number with the usual slats forming the bottom of the conventional vegctable crate, the depression being the amount that the bottom of the crate is preferably bulged for shipment.

The end piece 15 is so formed that it supports the plank 19 the inner end of which projects above the end of the seat to form a stop, located farthest from the end of the chute 20, provided with the rollers 21, so that a crate filled by the packers travels to the right to the stop.

The sliding frame 10 is preferably rectangular and slides vertically within the guides 9, and projecting from the upper portion are the arms 22 and 23, extending forwardly over the crate seat, and secured to the lower sides thereof are the curved plates 24, 25 and 26, preferably of metal and approximately the same or greater curvature of the bottom supports.

The right hand end of each of these plates is of the form shown, providing the dependent finger 27, with the right angled tip 28, thistip forming the register of the slat and stop, when the slat is held in contact therewith and with the dependent lip 47, by the finger 29 on the pivoted latch30.

This latch 30 is preferably pivoted in the plates by pin 31 and normally the finger is located in a slot in the side of the respective plate, and is held thus by a tension spring 32 one end secured to the finger and the other to a bolt 33 in the supporting bar 34:, mounted on the plates 24 to 26.

The forward end of the bar 34 extends outwardly and is bent down to form a stop 35 for the latch 30, preventing the latter from being pulled out of place, the head of the bolts 33 acting as stops for the next succeeding latches.

Connected to the slide 10 are the chains 36 also secured to the lever 37, pivoted at the rear and with the frame under the tension of the battery of springs 38, to hold the same in open position. The end of the lever extends beyond the table 11 and is adapted to be operated by foot, a latch 39 being provided and arranged to engage with a rack 40, the lever being held against the rack by a spring 41 secured to the frame and a bar 42.

On the top of the uprights is a shelf 43 to hold the supply of slats, this shelf not interfering with the use of a hammer.

In the operation of the machine, with the press open as in Fig. 2 the operator grasps three slats from the shelf, guiding the same so that the right hand end engages the tip 28 on the end of plate 24, with the edge front in engagement with finger 29, then with a slight pull forward the rear side is brought up into contact with the ends of the plate and between fingers 27, 28 and 29, as shown in dotted lines 45. Each of the other two slats are engaged in the same manner with Plates 25 and 26.

A crate 46 is now pulled onto the seat until the right end contacts with the stop 19, the right ends of the slats 45 registering immediately above, the operator depresses the lever 37 until the slats are bowed into con tact with the bottom of the plates over the overfilled contents, and until the ends contact with the ends of the crate, then the lever is locked in the rack 40 and the cover slats are nailed with thefree hands of the operator.

While the pressure is being applied evenly, the bottom of the crate is also bulged to the seat, and the cover slats being gripped so close to the register end of the plates, practically all the slip takes place at the left end in the bowing, and the slat being practically supported throughout its entire length, there is no breakage, with loss of timeand lumber and less internal disturbance of the inclosed material obtains, together with a material saving of floor space, labor and material from the old hand meth ods, as well as providing a more balanced package.

What I claim is 1. A combined crate press and cover Copies of this patent may be obtained for holder, comprising a frame, a seat, a movable frame, a curved cover holding member mounted on said movable frame, means to terial in a crate and clamp said cover thereto in strained position. a

2. A cover press comprising a crate seat, an opposed cover holder formed of a plurality of slat holding members with fingers formed thereon, a pivoted latch member adapted to oppose the said fingers, and means to limit the movement of said latch member. r

3. A cover press combining a crate seat, an opposed cover holder provided with plurality of fingers adapted'to register a cover on two of its edges, and a movable latch member adapted to clampa cover in opposition to one or more of said fingers.

4. A combined cover holding and crate press, comprising a frame, a curved seat, a stop adjacent said seat, a, chuteto convey crates to said seat, a cover holding member adapted to move in relation to said seat, a

finger on said member registeringover said seat, means to hold a box cover in .unstrained position on said member and in register with said finger, and means to press said cover holding member with a cover in contact with a crate on said seatand form said cover over overtopping material in. said crate and in contact with the bowed surface of said cover holding member.

5. A mechanism of the class described,

comprising a frame, a downwardly curved.

seat, a stop for said seat, anupwardly curved cover holding member, a plurality of fingers on said member, one of said fingersregisten ing over said stop and said finger being-so formed as not tointerfere with the nailing of said cover, means to hold a cover .in contact with all of said fingers, and means to contact saidcover holding member-with a cover to a crate on said seat.

' JOHN H. PLATT.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 1 

